TradingKey - The People's Bank of China announced a reduction in reserve requirements and interest rates this morning. This move has fueled a significant rise in the stock market. The upcoming US-China tariff talks this week are highly anticipated.
On Wednesday, May 7, at 9 AM, the central bank held a press conference. They announced a 0.5 percentage point cut in the reserve requirement ratio. This is expected to inject about 1 trillion yuan in long-term liquidity into the market. The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets opened strong, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 1.17%, the Shenzhen Component Index up 1.35%, and the ChiNext Index up 1.91%. However, by the time of this report, all three indices had retreated to varying degrees.
Governor Pan Gongsheng stated that the policy interest rate would be lowered by 0.1 percentage points. This is expected to lead to a similar drop in the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) by about 0.1 percentage points.
He also mentioned a 0.25 percentage point reduction in the rates for structural monetary policy tools. Specifically, the rates for various specialized structural tools and the re-lending rate for supporting agriculture and small businesses will decrease from 1.75% to 1.5%. The rate for the pledged supplementary lending (PSL) will drop from 2.25% to 2%.
Bloomberg noted that these cuts aim to support the economy impacted by tariffs. Additionally, it is reported that Vice Premier He Lifeng will hold talks with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen from May 9 to 12. This negotiation has become a focal point for global attention.